Having a Blast
by raptoregg64
Summary: Follow the now-infamous Junior through high school and college as he's shaped into the person he was at the time of his death. Trouble in school and relationships increase the pressure on him until he finally reaches his breaking point...
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is my first Starship fanfic. A couple of friends got me into it... this week, I believe... and it's now my newest obsession. :) This fic will also be posted on my tumblr- takethesebrokeneyes- and my deviantArt (where I'm also raptoregg64.) This chapter wasn't edited much, as I really wanted to get it up. Please enjoy. :) And remember- constructive criticism is always welcome!  
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><p>The hallway was lit with a bright, white light and painted a dull grey. It made a sharp contrast to the warm colors of his house as he walked through it, backpack slung over his shoulder and various papers in his hand. Various students lounged against the walls, chatting in groups. He could hear snatches of conversation as he passed them.<p>

"- I heard that Dr. Lecter's son is joining the school-"

"- hey, did you see that Mexican chick earlier today-"

"- _nineteen robots, _he killed, all in ten minutes! Amazing, my Dad is-"

"- she punched a guy in the face when he asked where she was from-"

"- Mom says he was homeschooled before now-"

The sixteen-year-old bit his lip as he looked around the school's hallway, trying to find his way around. He ran a hand through his short, brown hair and sighed. There were two things that he disliked about the school already. One was that their uniforms- metallic, grey-blue _jumpsuits- _were extremely itchy and looked horrible on everyone except some nearby blond girl, who seemed the type of person that would look good in absolutely anything. The second was the students themselves; they were a loud, annoying group of teenagers who seemed to be more obsessed with their gossip and appearances than with the destructive Robot Wars. It was a humongous change from the quiet, clean home that he was used to.

He supposed that the school was a good idea, though. Attached to G.L.E.E.'s main base, it was built so that the children of many Starship Rangers could be with their parents while still getting a good education and preparing for their own training at the Academy. At least, that was what his father had told him. He wished that education there wasn't compulsory for G.L.E.E. families, though. He had liked learning at home.

"Uh, excuse me," he asked, trying not to tug on his uniform as he attempted to get the attention of that blond girl. "Excuse me!"

She looked up from where she was talking with her friends, glancing over him briefly before meeting his gaze. It made him mildly uncomfortable, having people stare at him like that.

"Hi," she greeted cheerfully, flashing a pearly white grin at him.

"Er, hi," he replied awkwardly. "I was wondering… do you know where the science classroom is? It's my first class, and I'm kinda lost…"

"Oh my Dead God, science is _my _first class, too!" she squealed, taking him by the arm and dragging him off. "Follow me!"

"Uh- yeah- okay," he replied lamely, stumbling after her and desperately clutching onto his bag and his map (which had been no help to him whatsoever.)

"My name's February," she chirped happily as she ran towards the science classroom. "February March. Like the month, but a person! It's great to meet you!"

"Uh… it's nice to meet you, too. My name's Junior. Maybe you've heard of me?" he asked hopefully. At her blank look, he added, "Okay, maybe not." He looked at the door they had stopped in front of- a slightly darker shade of grey than the walls- then looked back at his guide. "Is this the science classroom?"

"Yep! C'mon, the bell's about to ring!" she cried, grabbing him by the hand again- he wasn't sure if he'd be able to use it after this; she had an extremely strong grip- and dragging him into the room just as the bell rang. They quickly went to the two seats left under the stern glare of the teacher, an old, grey-haired lady dressed in an even older Ranger uniform.

"Alright, class," the teacher began once everyone was seated, "Since today is the first day of the new school year, everyone is going to come up and introduce themselves. When I call your name, please come stand in front of the class and state your name, as well as telling us something about yourselves. First up… Mr. Abernathy."

Junior watched with very little interest as students came and went from the front of the classroom, none of them looking particularly unusual until an incredibly short, Latino girl stalked up to the front.

"My name is Taziana Garcia. I am from Puerto Rico. Jou stay away from me, and I stay away from jou, _entiende?"_

With that, she walked back to her seat, angrily flicking her black bangs out of her eyes. He edged away from her as she passed- she didn't seem like a happy camper.

Sometime later, the teacher called his name.

"Mr. Lecter, please come forward."

He stood up from his seat, trying not to cringe as all eyes immediately went to him, and strolled forward.

"Er, hey," he greeted awkwardly. "My name's Junior Lecter. Maybe you've heard of me."

More blank looks came from the various students.

"Well, you've probably heard of my dad," he continued, a small hint of pride creeping into his voice. "He's the head of the whole Galactic League."

Murmurs of interest rippled throughout the classroom, and he could feel February's eyes on him, a curious smile playing on her lips as a light went on in her eyes.

"Tell us something about _yourself_, Junior, not your father," the teacher sighed, distracting him from the blonde.

"Oh, right. Er… this is my first day at school- I was homeschooled before now," he added, though it came out more like a question than a statement. With that, he hurried back to his seat, although people still continued to stare at him. He squirmed in his chair as their gaze didn't shift- he hated being the center of attention. He tried to concentrate on the other students that introduced themselves, hoping that his watchers would be distracted soon enough.

"Hi! I'm February March- like the month, but a person," February bubbled excitedly once it was her turn. "And my fave stores are Spacey's and Forever 21,000, so if you want to go shop with me, give me a call!" She smiled that brilliant smile again before skipping to her former spot.

After introductions had been finished, the class continued without incident. It was mostly review, and Junior found it incredibly boring. He _knew _all of it already. Couldn't they do something _interesting?_

The rest of the day passed in much the same way. Everyone introduced themselves and then they started reviewing everything that they had learned the last year. It was mind-numbing, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. He didn't need a stressful first day.

Of course, the only class that _didn't _conform to this schedule was Phys. Ed.

"Twenty laps of the gym, stat!" the coach bellowed, pointing a hairy arm towards the starting point. "Get going, or it's pushups for all of you! If robots were chasing you, would you hesitate to _get moving?"_

Junior started to run after the others, mild panic evident on his face as he started to fall behind on the fifth lap. He had never been an athlete, despite his parents' best efforts to have him join some sport or another. Really, the only one he had been any good at was baseball, and he had always preferred being the pitcher because it didn't involve so much running.

Halfway through lap number fifteen, he was sweating buckets and trying desperately to get enough air. The sweat stung his eyes, making it hard to see, and he could barely run anymore.

"GET A MOVE ON, LECTER!" Coach Jackson yelled, waving his fists at the boy. "MOVE IT! MOVE IT! MOVE IT!"

He let out a whimper, but somehow managed to drag his exhausted body across the finish line five laps later.

"Water…" he croaked. "… need… water…" He couldn't see. His vision was blurred, and it didn't help that he was lying face-down on the ground, either.

"Here, Junior," a girl's voice giggled, lifting his head up and putting a bottle of water to his lips. Half of it probably spilled onto his shirt, but he did feel better afterwards. A lot better.

He blinked slightly, his vision clearing, and gave an exhausted smile as he saw who had come to help him.

"Thanks, February."

"No problem-o!" she replied, grinning as she stood up. She was also dressed in the gym clothes, consisting of a white t-shirt and red shorts. She held a bottle of water in her hand and sipped happily at it as she waited for him to recover.

Junior quickly sat up, ignoring his spinning head, and shakily pushed himself to his feet.

"Thanks again," he told her.

"Like I said, no problem! I've got gym next, and you looked like you were about to pass out, so…" She shrugged, still smiling widely. "See ya later!" She tapped him playfully on the nose before walking over to her classmates, leaving him somewhat confused as he stumbled out of the gymnasium.

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><p>"Mom! I'm home!" Junior called as he pushed open the door to their house. He wearily dropped his bag down next to the door, staggering through to the kitchen and sinking onto one of the metal barstools lined up next to the granite countertop.<p>

"Hey there, Junior," his mother replied with a smile, turning from the oven where she had been baking something- _brownies, _he thought as he caught a whiff of the smell, his mouth already watering- and walking over to him. She gently ruffled his hair. "How was your first day at school?"

"It was okay, I guess. Kind of boring, seeing how we just reviewed stuff. P.E. was hard."

"It's alright, you'll get used to it soon enough," she assured. "Did you make any friends?"

"There was a girl, February, who showed me to class," Junior told her tiredly. He suppressed a groan as a mischievous grin appeared on her face.

"A girl, eh?"

"It's not like that, Mom!"

"Sure it isn't," she teased gently before changing the subject. "I'm making brownies. They're nearly done; you can bring some down to Ariana in a bit."

Junior nodded, shoving aside the salt and pepper shakers to make room for his head as he laid it down on the countertop, closing his eyes to rest.

The beeping of the oven startled from his nap five minutes later, and he looked around, wild-eyed, as his mother gave a laugh.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. Brownies are done." She quickly pulled the tray out of the oven, grabbing a knife and slicing the marvelous-smelling contents into squares. "Get some plates out, if you can move."

He managed to make it to the cupboard where the plates were kept without collapsing and took out three plates, setting them onto the countertop.

"Thank you, Junior," his mother replied with a smile, putting two brownies onto each of the plates and handing two plates to her son. "Take one down to your sister for me."

He nodded.

"Thanks, Mom." He carried the plates down the stairs to the basement, trying to resist the temptation to begin eating. He walked over to the girl lying on the couch, huddled in blankets.

"Hey, Ria," he greeted, handing her a plate. "Mom made brownies."

"Great! Thanks, Junior," his sister replied with a smile.

Fourteen-year-old Ariana Lecter resembled their mother even more than Junior did. She was a frail, thin girl with pale skin and curly hair a shade darker than her brother's that tumbled down to her shoulders. Her large, brown eyes were set into a delicate face that seemed to be perpetually on the edge of emaciation. No matter how much she was fed, the many fevers and sicknesses that Ariana was subjected to kept her from gaining weight. It was rather worrying, but there was nothing that the family had been able to do about it.

"How was your first day of school?" she inquired, picking up a brownie and taking a bite.

"It was fune," Junior replied with a shrug, sitting down next to her. "I'm exhausted from gym, but nothing interesting happened."

"Except he met a girl!" their mother called cheerfully down the stairs.

"Ooh, a _girl, _Junior?" Ariana teased, grinning. "Was she _pretty?"_

"_Mo-om!" _Junior cried, his face turning a somewhat pinkish color. "You _had _to tell her?" He sighed, turning back to his sister. "Yes, a girl. And I guess she was kind of pretty." That was a lie- February had been _very _pretty. Not that he really cared about that sort of thing. Nope. Not at all.

"Ooh!" she giggled. "Are you going to ask her out? Buy her flowers? Chocolate? Pine over her, proclaim your undying love for her at the nearest opportunity?"

"_Ria!" _Junior scolded. "I only _met _her today!"

"Romeo and Juliet fell in love at a single party," Ariana pointed out.

"I hated Romeo and Juliet, you know that. They were both idiots." He rolled his eyes, standing up and grabbing his plate. "If you won't stop teasing me, I'll leave."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Just one more question- what's her name?"

"February. February March." Ignoring his sister's snort of laughter, he began to walk out of the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat my brownies and get out of this stupid jumpsuit."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks very much to the one reviewer, gypsie rosalie. (And to roman-rain, who I know has also been reading this. XD) Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, despite the fact that it's a little bit of a filler. (Or not. Maybe I'm just a bad judge of what is and what isn't a filler. It's up to you. XP)**

**Anyway, enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

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><p>A week of school had passed, and Junior sat quietly by himself at one of the tables arranged in the cafeteria. Like most of the school, the table was grey. Actually, grey seemed to be the Galactic League's favorite color.<p>

He had grabbed his lunch out of his bag, thankful that he didn't have to eat the beige-looking mush that was being served as a school lunch. Instead, his mother had packed him a turkey and mayonnaise sandwich, an apple, a bottle of water, and a Jell-O. Junior felt a slight twinge of embarrassment, however, as he pulled out a handwritten note and quickly read over it.

_Dear Junior,_

_I'm so happy that you had a good first week of school! Please enjoy your lunch and try to sit with other people today, okay? School is for socializing as well, not just learning!_

_Love,_

_Mom :-)_

It was sweet of her to put a note in his lunchbox, he supposed, but Junior was of the opinion that parents stopped doing that as soon as their kids reached middle school. He quickly shoved the piece of paper into the bag before anyone could see it.

Sighing, he looked up from his sandwich and glanced over the various faces in the cafeteria as he tried to decide who to go sit with. He noticed that the Puerto Rican girl- Taziana- was sitting all on her own at a different table, but he was slightly terrified of her and didn't want to risk having his nose broken if he tried to start a conversation. Junior grimaced at the thought of a broken nose and turned his gaze to a different table.

After about five minutes of looking, the answer was decided for him as February stood up from her table and bounced over to him.

"Hey, Junior!" she greeted happily, sitting down next to him and putting her lunch tray on the table. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all, February," he replied with a relieved grin. He had chatted to the girl several times over the past week (although there were no declarations of undying love, as his sister seemed to think) and had discovered that she was a nice enough person, despite being an absolute airhead.

"Great!" February giggled, flicking her hair out of her face. She smiled brightly at him. "So, what do you have for lunch?"

"Sandwich- turkey mayo- apple, water, and Jell-O," Junior replied, gesturing to each of the items as he listed them. "What about you?"

"I have…" February scrutinized her food for a moment. Her nose crinkled slightly in what he noted was possibly the cutest face he had ever seen. "I have no idea! I think it's supposed to be…" She poked it with her fork. "… Tuna casserole. Maybe."

"I can't help you there," he admitted with a laugh, shrugging his hands. "I can't tell, either. Smells like tuna, though."

"Yeah. Eww." She did that adorable, crinkly-nose face again before pouting at him. "I don't like tuna. It smells like socks. _Gross _socks!"

"We can split my lunch, if you want," Junior offered suddenly. He wasn't quite sure what made him say it despite the fact that he was starving after P.E. But the joyful look on February's face was worth it.

"Omigosh, Junior, that'd be great! Thanks so much! I mean, I don't really know how we'd split the Jell-O up-"

"You can have it," he replied immediately. "I can always grab one when I get home."

"Awww, that's so sweet of you," she cooed, accepting a spoon and cup of gelatin from him with a happy beam. "You're the best, Junior."

"Thanks, February," he replied with a slightly shy smile. Why did his stomach feel so uneasy all of a sudden?

_Probably just lack of food, _he told himself firmly. _Yeah. That's it. Nothing to do with the fact that February's smiling at you and she has a really pretty smile because you would most certainly not get butterflies in your stomach from that. That idea is absolutely absurd. Besides, nobody uses the phrase "butterflies in your stomach" anymore. Except Mom and Ria._

They ate in silence for some time, before February asked a question.

"Did you understand anything the science teacher was talking about today?" she mused between bites of sandwich. "I mean, that photosynthingy stuff was hard. How'm I supposed to remember that equation she was writing on the board?" She pouted grumpily, and Junior still couldn't get over how cute that expression- all of her expressions, really- looked.

"I can help you out," he offered hopefully. "I've been told I'm pretty good at science. Not that I'm trying to boast, or anything," he added quickly.

Her face lit up in a large smile, and his stomach did another flip.

"That'd be totally awesome, Junior!" she squealed. "We should, like, get together to study sometime!"

"Are you busy tomorrow?" Junior inquired, unable to stop the words from leaving his mouth. A blush lightly colored his cheeks.

_But why am I embarrassed I said that? _he asked himself as he waited for a response. _It's not like you're asking her out. No, you're just asking her on a study date. … Date. Which- which isn't like a regular date! People can have study dates and just be friends. I think._

"I don't think I am," February declared after a few moments of thought. "But… how am I going to get to your house?" She looked slightly puzzled, biting her lip. "I don't have a hovercar…"

"I do," Junior replied immediately. Once again, the words rushed out of his mouth before he could even think about them. "And I've got my license, so I can drive you."

February's eyes lit up as she grinned widely at him.

"Omigosh, that's so cool! I wish _I _could drive! I didn't pass the written part of my test, and I've gotta wait a month before I can re-take it…" She sighed.

"I can help you study for that, too," he told her with a smile. This prompted a loud squeal that made a good portion of the cafeteria turn to look at them.

"Oh my Dead God, you are just the _sweetest! _That'd be _great!"_

Junior felt his blush deepen slightly as he smiled.

"It's no problem, February. Where's your house, so I know where to go to pick you up?"

"Just a moment-" The blond dug through her backpack for a few moments before pulling out a pen and a piece of paper. She quickly scribbled down her address and handed it to him. "Here you go!"

"Awesome, thanks," he replied, accepting the paper with another smile as he put it in his bag. "When do you want me to come fetch you?"

"Anytime after one o'clock would be fine- in the afternoon, not the morning," she added as an afterthought.

"Sounds like a date, then," he told her with a grin. _A _study _date, Junior. Not a romantic date. Nope._

"Sounds like a date!" February agreed cheerfully, grabbing his hand and shaking it energetically.

Junior left the cafeteria that day with a very pleasant feeling settling in his stomach. However, he didn't realize that several pairs of angry eyes followed him from all corners of the room.

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><p>"Mom, February's coming over tomorrow," he announced once he arrived home, tossing his bag next to the front door. He walked into the living room, where he could hear the sounds of his mother vacuuming.<p>

"Hello, Junior," she yelled over the noise, looking up at him. "What was that you said?"

"February's coming over tomorrow," he shouted back just as she turned off the vacuum, meaning that his voice carried loudly throughout the house. He blinked slightly, shrinking back sheepishly.

"Ooh, JUNIOR'S GOT A DA-ATE!" Ariana yelled as she walked up from downstairs, blanket wrapped around her small shoulders.

"It's _not a date, _Ria!" he protested. "We're just studying!"

"A study date's a date, Junior," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "Junior and February, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-"

"That's enough, Ariana," their mother reprimanded gently. However, she turned to Junior with a wicked grin. "I was wondering when you'd get a girlfriend."

"Mom, she's _not my girlfriend! _Just because she's my friend and happens to be a girl doesn't mean we're dating," he complained.

"Right," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "But you do talk about her an awful lot, for someone who's 'just a friend who happens to be a girl.'" She laughed, thwacking him lightly on the back of the head. "Just make sure to dress sharp tomorrow, kiddo. Ladies dig a man who takes care of his appearance."

"Mom, please!" Junior groaned. "You didn't tease Ria like this when she brought Eddy Jones home!"

"That's because she was eight, then," his mother replied, her eyebrow still raised. "And your sister had already told me that 'Eddy's my boyfriend, Mommy, 'cause he's really nice. He gave me his popsicle at fair yesterday.'"

This time, it was Ariana's turn to groan loudly.

"_Mo-om!"_

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><p>That night, as he was brushing his teeth, Junior quietly thought to himself about whether or not his sister and his mom were right. Did February really think that they were going on a <em>date<em> date, not a _study _date? He had to admit- he sort of hoped that she did.

He finished up in the bathroom before heading off to bed. No matter what tomorrow would be like, it wouldn't do him any good thinking about it. The only thing that would help him now was getting a good night's sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, this chapter wasn't edited, either. I mainly wanted to finish it and get it up. (I'm not usually this bad about not editing! XP)**

**Also, this fic may go on the backburner for the month of November, as I'm going to try participate in NaNoWriMo. Knowing me and my horrible discipline when it comes to writing, however, I'm probably going to work on this just as much as my novel (which I only started planning on the 31st of October) fail to meet 50,000 words by the deadline, and get several more chapters of this up instead. If only I had thought to start this a few days later than I did- then I could use it as my NaNoWriMo entry, instead! XP**

** (Another) also: I've started a Starship roleplay, for anyone who's interested. It shouldn't be too hard to find. There are, after all, only two Starship forums... (last time I looked, at least.) It's called A Very Starship Roleplay. There's still some work that needs to be done with it- such as thinking of a plot to start us off with- but I'm hoping that you guys can help me with that. :)**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

**P.S. There's a good deal of Junuary (yes, that's what I'm going to call Junior/February from now on) fluff in this chapter. It might be balanced out slightly at the end, though.  
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><p>Junior looked at himself in the mirror, checking over his appearance quickly. He was sure that he looked fine- he had combed his hair, brushed his teeth, put on a clean shirt and jeans, and he was even wearing the nice pair of loafers his grandmother had given him for his birthday instead of his usual sneakers. After all, it couldn't <em>hurt<em> to look nice for February. Even if they were just on a study date.

He jogged through to the kitchen, where his mother was cleaning the countertops. He wasn't sure why, as the kitchen appeared to be spotless, but he didn't question her.

"I'm off to pick up February," he told her quickly. "I'll be back soon."

"See you then," his mother replied absentmindedly, scrubbing hard at a nonexistent speck of dirt. "If you're not back within an hour, I'll be calling you, alright? Make sure that you have a first-aid kit in the hovercar in case something happens and one of you gets hurt. Make sure that you have your phone on you in case you need to call nine-one-one."

Junior sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, Mom. I know. I'll see you soon." He quickly pushed open the front door and walked outside, crossing to his hovercar- a rather fancy model, especially for a sixteen-year-old who had only passed his driver's test four months ago and who had dinged it numerous times on the mailbox since then- and sitting down in the driver's seat.

"Rhonda," he called clearly once he had put the keys in the ignition and started the engine.

"_Yes, Junior?" _said the GPS in the accent of a British woman. "Rhonda," as he had named her, didn't have the degree of sentience necessary to join the robots in their rebellion or the body necessary to do any damage, which were the only reasons why the family allowed her, anyway.

"Direct me to…" He glanced at the scrap of paper in his hands and quickly read off February's address.

"_Yes, Junior," _the robot replied calmly. _"Do you want to give a name to this address?"_

"Er… sure."

"_What would you like to call it, Junior?" _Rhonda inquired, synthetic politeness in her voice.

"February's house," Junior replied with a shrug, glancing over his shoulder before beginning to pull out of the driveway.

Once he was safely on the open road, he turned on the radio and hummed along as music began to play. It wasn't too long of a drive to February's house- just fifteen minutes- and, before he knew it, he was parked in front of a large, stately home that bordered on being a mansion.

Junior blinked in surprise, wondering what her family did for a living. After all, they had a fancier house than the head of the whole Galactic League! A neatly trimmed lawn with gorgeous, colorful flowerbeds beckoned to him, but he resolutely ignored the temptation to lie down on the grass and soak up the sun. Instead, he walked up the white pathway that lead to the front door and knocked on the dark, ornately carved wood.

Footsteps could be heard coming from inside, and Junior was suddenly struck by a horrid thought- what if February had pranked him, giving him the address of some fancy family so he'd knock on _their _door instead and look like an absolute idiot?

His fears were quickly dispersed when February herself answered the door, a wide smile on her face.

"Junior! Hi! Come on in!" she greeted cheerfully, grabbing him by the hand and forcefully yanking him through the doorway.

"Hey, February," he replied with a relieved smile. "How're you?"

"Good, thanks," she replied absentmindedly, before yelling loudly into the house. "MAMA! PAPA! JUNIOR'S HERE!"

He winced, moving to cover his ears when an older, grey-haired gentleman came in, a thin, blond woman on his arm. They were both dressed quite formally for a Saturday afternoon, as opposed to February's jeans and t-shirt. Junior, despite all of the care that he (and his mother) had put into his appearance that morning, felt rather underdressed.

"Good morning," he greeted politely, holding out his hand. "I'm Junior Lecter. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr and Mrs March."

"Lovely to meet you too, Junior," the woman said breezily, shaking his hand. The man simply grunted, glaring at Junior with remarkable hostility for someone he had just met.

"Okay, we'll be going now!" February told them both brightly, hooking her arm around Junior's- he tried not to cower as her father's glare deepened- and skipping out the door.

As they left, he could hear the man grumble,

"Who on Earth names their child _Junior?"_

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><p>"I don't think your dad likes me," Junior told February with a somewhat cheeky grin as he drove down the road, nearing his home. She giggled.<p>

"Papa doesn't like anyone, I think. Except me and Mama. You just got the typical Arthur March greeting, so don't feel offended."

He laughed.

"I won't. At least it's not just me, though."

"Of course it's not just you, Junior," February replied with a mischievous smile. "You're too sweet for any reasonable person to not like you!"

He felt a blush color his cheeks as he pulled into the driveway of his house.

"Thanks, February." He quickly parked, hopped out of the hovercar, and crossed to the other side to open her door for her before she could do it herself.

"Aww, thanks," she told him, smiling, as she got out of the car. They quickly walked up to the doorway and stepped inside.

"Mom, I'm back!" Junior called, closing the door behind them. His mother came through from the dining room and smiled at them.

"Hello," she greeted, holding her hand out to February. "I'm Elizabeth Lecter, Junior's mother. You must be February."

February nodded excitedly, shaking the other woman's hand.

"February March- like the month, but a person! It's nice to meet you, Mrs Lecter."

"Nice to meet you too, February. I'll be in the kitchen if you kids need me."

"Thanks, Mom," Junior replied with a nod before turning to February. "Shall we get studying?"

"Let's do this!" February cried triumphantly, beginning to walk downstairs to the den. "I will conquer you today, photosynthingammajig!"

"Photosynthesis, February. Photosynthesis," he corrected with a laugh as he followed her.

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><p>"So… the oxy-gen in the water produced doesn't come from the oxy-gen in the carbon dioxide?" February clarified, confused.<p>

"Exactly," Junior agreed. "The oxygen in the carbon dioxide goes into the glucose."

"Oh, I think I get it now!" she replied with a happy smile, her eyes lighting up. She hugged him tightly, not noticing the fact that his face went a lovely shade of pink. "Thanks so much, Junior!" She let go of him, still beaming. Her smile slowly became sheepish, however. "Um, I think my brain's kinda full for today, though. Can we stop studying now?"

"Sure," he replied quickly, nodding. _Stop blushing, stop blushing, stop blushing, _he chanted in his head until he felt the blush subside. "Do you want to watch a movie, or something?"

"Ooh, that'd be great!" she squealed excitedly, immediately hopping onto the sofa that faced the TV- they had been sitting on the floor to study, as she had suspected she'd fall asleep from boredom if they sat anywhere more comfortable.

Junior quickly turned on the TV, scrolling through the list of movies they had by lightly flicking his fingers across the touch-screen.

"What movie do you want to watch?" he inquired, looking up at her. "We have a bunch of classics. _James Bond, Indiana Jones, the Karate Kid, Finding Nemo…_"

"Let's watch _Indiana Jones and the Raider of the Lost Ark_!" February replied excitedly, literally bouncing in her seat. "I haven't seen that movie in ages!"

He nodded, quickly selecting it and turning off the lights before sitting down on the opposite end of the sofa from her. He settled in to watch as the movie began to play, half-considering going to make some popcorn. He discarded the idea in favor of simply watching a movie with February.

Apparently, February found _Raiders of the Lost Ark _quite a bit scarier than he did, as she jumped with a sharp "eek!" several times throughout the movie, each time moving a little bit closer to him. By the time Indy had stowed away on the Nazi submarine, she was pressed against his side, her heart thudding quickly. Junior found himself rather glad that the lights were off, as it meant she couldn't see the expression on his face. However, he had a great deal of difficulty concentrating on the rest of the film.

When they got to what Ariana called the "face-melting scene," February let out a loud shriek and jumped right onto his lap, burying her face in his shirt.

"Oh, Junior," she whimpered softly, squeezing her eyes shut as she clung to him. He blinked in response, his brain suddenly becoming remarkably slow. He gently patted her on the back, prompting her to cuddle up closer to him.

"Hey, it's okay," he whispered gently once he remembered how to speak. "That part's over now. You can look."

She glanced up at him with wide, doe-like, bright blue eyes.

"Thanks, Junior," she whispered in return, giving a shaky smile as she went back to watching the movie. He noticed that she didn't get off of his lap.

Once the film finished, February turned around and looked at him, leaning forward slightly.

"So, what do you want to do now?" she asked with a small smirk. Junior stared at her for a moment, very much distracted by how close her face was, before replying.

"Um… um… I dunno… I could g-grab us something to eat, if you want?" he stuttered, feeling a blush creep back into his cheeks. "Y-yeah. I'll do that." He quickly got up- February barely got off of his lap in time- and jogged back upstairs.

He didn't look back, and he didn't see her disappointed pout or hear the muttered "Rats!"

* * *

><p>The next Monday, Junior was walking from the school building to his car when four figures surrounded him.<p>

"Er, hi," he greeted, confused, as he looked at the young men's angry faces. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," their apparent leader snarled, backing him towards a wall. "You seem to be getting pretty chummy with February March."

"So what?" he replied, straightening up slightly and looking him straight in the eyes. He felt unusually brave.

"We don't like that," one of the others growled, his hands forming fists.

"Yeah. You better stay away from her," the leader snapped.

"What if I don't want to?" Junior retorted angrily. Who were they to tell him who he could and who he couldn't hang out with?

"Then this happens." A fist went flying towards his face, hitting him squarely in the nose.

"Ow!" he yelled, his hands going to his bleeding nose. "Joo punched me!"

Another fist hit his stomach in response, and he buckled over with a wince.

"Stob! What'd I ebber do t' joo?" he wheezed, glaring at his aggressors.

Maybe he should have just shut his mouth, as he was assailed by a barrage of blows that left him cowering on the ground. He was kicked, he was punched, his hair was pulled, and he was left with a large variety of bruises covering almost every inch of his skin. Junior was in tears at the end of it, as much as he hated to admit it. He wasn't very good at coping with pain- the last time he had been injured was eight years ago, when he sprained his wrist while playing baseball.

"My fader will hear abow dis," he whispered weakly, trying to stare down the bullies through the tears that blurred his vision. Their leader smirked down at him.

"Will he?" the young man drawled, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't recommend telling him."

"Whad's stobbing me?" Junior countered, trying to sound strong and failing.

"Well…" the bully replied, examining his fingernails nonchalantly, "I've seen your sister."

"Whad does dat hab to do wid anyding?"

"She's rather pretty. We wouldn't want anything to happen to her, now would we?" The bully grinned wickedly at Junior's horrified look before spitting in his face, adding another kick in the side for good measure. "Don't go running to Daddy, or something will."

The gang began to walk off, laughing cruelly and exchanging crude jokes. Junior stared after them, wiping the saliva off of his face with a wince. He slowly struggled to his feet, steadying himself on the brick wall. He felt his stomach lurch when he pulled his hand away and realized that it was covered in blood. _His _blood. It was only his nose that was bleeding, but it still wasn't pleasant. What sickened him even more, however, was the threat they had made towards Ariana.

Junior squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for his head to stop reeling.

He wouldn't tell his father. He couldn't let anything happen to Ariana… but he didn't want to give up talking to February, either.

He would just have to deal with the bullying, then. It was the only way.


	4. Chapter 4

The bullying became worse over the next few weeks. Junior refused to stop hanging out with February, but he also refused to tell anyone the reason behind the bruises and scrapes he showed up with after school. It became harder as time went by- after all, he could only tell his mother that he fell down the stairs so many times before she'd realize that something was up.

Fortunately for him, his parents only started to suspect something when his grades began to go down, about a month and a half into the school year. Unfortunately for him, his father was the one who confronted him about it.

"Junior," Dr. Lecter began sternly, pacing back and forth in front of the dining room table, "you know that your mother and I want the best for you, and we want you to do your best. However, both of us feel that you haven't been doing so lately." He slid Junior's report card across the table to where his son was sitting, slumped in a wooden chair and covered in bruises.

"A D in physical education. A C in every other subject. That's barely passing, Junior," Lecter told him angrily, spitting out the words. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"… Phys Ed is hard, Dad," Junior stated in a monotone after a few moments. He seemed exhausted and unfocused. "I'm just not good at it, okay?"

"But you were a straight A student in all of your other subjects before now," his father snapped. "How do you go from an A to a C that quickly? Have you been skipping classes to hang out with that February girl?"

"No!" Junior shot back quickly, directing a glare at his father. "February has nothing to do with this!"

"Then please explain to me how you've been getting comments from your teachers such as _'doesn't participate in class discussions. Is constantly tired and doesn't pay attention in class. He has good potential, but fails to utilize it.'" _Lecter narrowed his eyes at him. "Have you been drinking, then?"

"_No!_ Criminy!" Junior cried. "Is it my fault that every class is so da-"

"_Language, _Junior."

"- darn boring? How am I supposed to pay attention if it isn't interesting?"

"Junior, you aren't ADD," Lecter replied sharply. "Both your mother and I know that. We had you tested for it before you started school. There has to be some other reason for this."

"The textbooks are confusing and out of date, the teachers make anything they teach seem as dull as… as… as a spoon, and- and- it's not an environment conducive to learning!" Junior babbled frantically. "Class discussions aren't engaging, and neither is class itself."

"Even if you're telling the truth, that hasn't explained why you're so tired all of the time," Lecter said shortly, crossing his arms. There was silence for a few minutes as Junior stared at the table, twiddling his thumbs.

"… I haven't been able to sleep," his son admitted at last. That, at least, wasn't a lie. "At all."

"Why?" the scientist asked bluntly, obviously unsympathetic.

"Nightmares."

"Of?"

"Various things," Junior replied uneasily. "It changes around a lot. I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"No, Junior," Lecter replied flatly. "Not okay. If something is troubling you, you must tell your mother or me."

Junior shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to come up with a lie. He didn't want his father to know what his nightmares had actually been about.

"You and Mom fighting… and the robots coming and destroying everything… stuff like that…" he mumbled after a while. Lecter's expression softened, and he placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"You don't have to worry about that, Junior. None of that will happen to our family."

Junior nodded, offering a small, hesitant smile.

"Yeah. Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome, son," Lecter replied with a nod. "Now, off to bed. It's late now, and you need your sleep."

Junior quickly dashed off to his room, relieved that his father hadn't pursued the issue. Now he just needed to get his grades up, and everything would be alright again…

* * *

><p>"Hey, Junior?" February inquired the next day as they walked together after school. They were taking a quiet, isolated road to the library, needing to get various books for their science projects. It was a pleasant day; the sun was shining, the seagulls were cawing above their heads, and the palm trees were swaying gently in the light wind. Junior had actually chosen this route so he could just spend some more time with February.<p>

"Yeah, February?" he replied absentmindedly, digging in his bag for something.

"Why do you have all these bruises and stuff?" she asked curiously, the warmth in the air seeming to instantly dissipate. "I mean, you keep on getting new ones, and they look really painful. Are you okay?"

He froze for a moment before turning to her with a sheepish grin, forcing himself not to look too edgy..

"I'm fine. I'm just really clumsy, so I keep running into things," he lied quickly.

"Oh, okay!" she answered cheerfully, seeming to accept it without too much thought. "I'm glad you're alright."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, Junior slowly calming down, before February piped up again.

"Hey, Junior…" She paused, turning to face him with a coy smile. "I was wondering… d'you wanna go out sometime?"

Junior stopped again, a blush immediately appearing on his cheeks. A smile slowly followed, and he gave a nod.

"Y-yeah, okay. Um… we could go to the seaquarium next Saturday, if you aren't too busy?" he offered, trying not to sound too nervous.

"That sounds like fun!" she exclaimed, grinning widely at him. "How does two sound to you? In the afternoon, not the morning," she clarified quickly.

"Two sounds good," Junior replied with a hesitant grin. "I'll come and pick you up."

They began to walk again, neither of them feeling the need to add anything else to the conversation. A few minutes passed by before Junior looked down at his hand, feeling that something small and warm had been slipped into it.

A small smile spread across his face as he laced his fingers with February's and carried on his way.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week seemed to fly by as he looked forward to his date- <em>he had a date!- <em>with February on Saturday. However, trouble found him again on Friday afternoon.

"Hey, look, it's the little social reject," a voice laughed cruelly. Junior immediately tensed as the group of his tormenters approached.

"How're you today, homo?" one of them sneered.

Junior didn't reply, instead glancing around desperately for an escape route. There was none- he had inadvertently dashed into an alley. It was a dead end.

"I heard he ain't a homo," another one interjected. "I heard he has a _date_."

"With who? That dweeb Specs?" the leader snorted, smirking.

"No- with February March!"

"_WHAT?"_

Junior let out a small cry of pain as he was slammed into the wall, a strong hand keeping his face pinned against the moldy brick.

"Whaddya mean, you have a date with March?" the leader snarled, his brown eyes narrowed in hate. "Don't you remember what we told you?"

"To stay away from her," Junior whimpered softly, cringing.

"Yeah. And have you listened to us? No!"

He cried out again as a fist made contact with his stomach.

"Y'know… if you'll be with March, maybe I'll pay your sister a visit. She could use the company."

"Leave my sister out of this!" he protested angrily. "She- she has nothing to do with this!"

"Awww, he's so pwotective of his widdle sissy," the voice mocked. "Maybe he's only goin' out wid Febuwawy because he's twyin' to hide a big, naughty secwet of his? Maybe it ain't Febby he's got a cwush on, but his _sissy?"_

"No! Just leave me alone, you- you- jerks! Let me go!"

"I don't think so, Lecter," the leader growled, dropping the sickeningly-sweet baby-voice. "I think you need to be taught another lesson, since our first one obviously didn't stick in your thick, stupid head."

"No! Please! _No!"_

* * *

><p>Junior lay in a crumpled heap in the alley for almost half an hour after that. It took him that long to check if anything was broken- no, thankfully- pull himself together, wipe the blood off of his face, check again to see if anything was broken because his nose didn't feel quite right, discover that his nose <em>had<em> actually been broken, set it, shakily get to his feet, and walk out.

He was a mess. Almost every inch of his skin was covered in bruises, the blood around his nose had only just started to scab over, and one eye was nearly swollen shut. Upon checking his cell phone, he saw that he had a text from his frantic mother asking where on earth he was. He replied that he had been caught in traffic, she shouldn't worry, and that he would be home soon before praying desperately to Dead God that she wouldn't ask what had happened to him.

In his preoccupied state, Junior ended up by the school bleachers instead of in the parking lot, like he had intended. He could smell something faintly herbal hanging in the air, and he could see the dim shadows of people sitting under the bleachers, glowing embers faintly illuminating their forms. He stiffened as one of them addressed him.

"You look like you've been havin' a rough time, buddy." It was a woman's voice, low and husky, with the faintest trace of a Brooklyn accent.

"I suppose you could say that," he replied warily, glancing over as she stood up and approached him. She was of average height, lean, black hair tied into a spiky ponytail, a nose ring, pale skin, purple lipstick, the top half of her school-issued jumpsuit unzipped and hanging around her waist to reveal a white tank top, blue eyes slightly unfocused, something white and red and smoking held loosely in her jewelry-adorned hand. She seemed like the type of person his father would hate him hanging out with. To his surprise, he found that he didn't mind.

"I'm Sarah," she told him with a slight smirk. "Sarah Parker. Care to join us? You seem like you need to relax."

"I'm not sure-" Junior began nervously, but she pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"Shhh," Sarah murmured, taking him by the hand and dragging him over to her circle of friends. He same, punk-y style as Sarah. The rest looked… normal. Like him. All of them offered welcoming smiles, which he hesitantly returned.

"Hey," one of them greeted, reaching into a tin can next to him and pulling out another one of the white, paper things. "You want one?"

"Er… one of what?" Junior asked awkwardly, glancing around. He wasn't used to the heady, herbal-smelling smoke that filled the air, but it actually smelled quite nice. He could feel some of the tension leave his shoulders.

"Dude, we're a bunch of teens hanging around under the bleachers with a bunch of smoke," another chuckled, grinning indulgently at him, like a mother would with a particularly silly child. "Whaddya think it is?"

Junior's eyes widened as he realized what the things they all held were- joints; they were smoking _marijuana, _it was _illegal, _he needed to get out now while he still had the chance- but the words that left his mouth weren't the words that he meant to say.

"… Alright, just once. I have been having a pretty rough day…"

As another half an hour passed, Junior wondered vaguely what on earth he had been worried about as he slipped into a peaceful, mind-numbing oblivion.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I finally updated this! Yay! This will probably be my last update for 2011, though, as I'm going to be going on vacation in a week or so. I'll be back in January, however!<strong>

**Keep in mind that I didn't edit this chapter (I was really eager to post it) so it may not be the best. XP Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**

**I might post a Christmassy oneshot before I leave that falls in with my Starship RP. It'll involve the older versions of the Rangers and their younger selves preparing for Christmas and whatnot.**

**Anyway, happy holidays, everyone! I hope you all have a totally awesome New Year!**


	5. Chapter 5

**My goodness, how long has it been since I last updated this? ... I don't even want to know.**

**I apologize for my disappearance, ladies and gents; I don't really have any good excuse for it except sheer forgetfulness and procrastination. But I should update more regularly now! I hope...**

**In other new: Who else loved HMB? I thought it was fantastic, every single bit of it. Jeff Blim now ties with Brolden for title of "Raptor's Favorite Starkid" (although the competition is very close among all the Starkids.)**

**Anyway! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. :) Please leave a review! (And yes, anonymous reviews are enabled, so don't be shy! XD)**

**P.S. This was only hastily edited, if at all, and it's currently rather late at night here so I might not be making much sense in my A/N. My apologies.**

* * *

><p>His head hurt.<p>

No, that wasn't right.

_Everything _hurt. His entire body was one big, massive bruise. He couldn't breathe through his nose properly, and his left eye was swollen almost entirely shut. He could feel the blood that had crusted in his hair and on his face overnight. His ribs hurt, and almost all of his skin was black and blue. When he tried to sit up or get out of bed, everything screamed in pain and forced him back down.

To put it simply, on Saturday morning, Junior was a mess.

He fumbled around in the dark for a few minutes- the curtains were drawn, allowing in only the thinnest sliver of sun- before finding the lamp on his bedside table and turning it on. His clock read 10:30 AM.

"Did I really sleep for over twelve hours…?" he mumbled blearily as he gingerly scooted himself into a sitting position and grabbed his cell phone from the pocket of his discarded school uniform. He stared at it blankly for a moment before remembering that he had meant to call February. His fingers slowly, sluggishly punched in her number and he raised the phone to his ear, waiting as the dial tone rang three times.

"Hello?"

"Hey, February," Junior greeted wearily.

"Hi, Junior!" she replied excitedly. "… You don't sound great. Are you alright?"

"I'm sick," he lied weakly. He was glad that the broken nose had made his voice sound slightly congested. It helped his story. "I can hardly get out of bed, so I won't be able to make our date today. I'm really sorry."

"Oh no!" February exclaimed, horrified. "I'm so sorry! I hope you feel better soon! Ooh! Do you want me to come over to your house instead? I could bring you chicken noodle soup and help take care of you and we could watch a movie and-"

"No!" Junior replied quickly, though the idea was extremely appealing. (It also brought to mind the thought of February in a nurse's outfit, which he quickly banished from his mind to recall at a later date.) "Thanks for the offer, but I don't want you to get sick, too."

"You're so sweet," she sighed dreamily. "Like sugar. Or whatever it is they put in honey. Will I see you on Monday?"

"Probably. I should be better by then." Hopefully his black eye would have gone down enough by then for him to hide it with makeup. "I'll see you then."

"See you then! Get better soon, okay? Don't do anything silly like trying to climb Mount Everest or something," February giggled.

"I won't," he promised. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced as bits of dried blood flaked off and dusted his bed. "I have to go shower now, Feb- I'm all gross and stuff. See you at school. Bye."

"Bye!" There was a click as the phone disconnected.

Junior sighed heavily, tossed his phone onto his bed, and slowly levered himself up to a standing position. He grimaced again as his muscles protested. He listlessly hobbled into his bathroom and stripped off his pajamas (really just an old pair of grey boxers and a slightly lighter grey t-shirt,) dumping them unceremoniously on the floor. He then reached into the shower and switched on the water to as hot as it could get before he stepped in.

He did feel slightly better after the shower, even if his skin was now a lobster red in the places where it wasn't bruised. He had managed to get all of the blood off, and he finally felt clean enough to dress himself in some presentable clothes- a blue, collared shirt and a pair of jeans.

Just as he finished toweling off his hair, a knock came on the door.

"Junior, are you awake yet?" his mother called worriedly. "It's not like you to sleep this late."

"I'm awake," he answered, though he didn't open the door.

"Are you okay? You disappeared up to your room last night before your father or I could see you-"

"I'm fine, Mom. Really. Don't worry. I'll come down a little later." Junior bit his lip nervously and leaned against the door. "Why don't you go out and do something with Dad? It's been ages since you two spent the day together."

"But what about your date with February?" Elizabeth fussed immediately. "Do you look presentable? I hope you've worn something nice-"

"February isn't feeling great," he replied with a wince. He hated lying to his mother. "So we aren't going to go out today."

He could practically see her frown.

"Oh. Alright. Well, come down when you're ready, sweetie. You're old enough to make yourself breakfast." There was a pause. "You know… maybe I _will _go and do something with your father, if you're here to look after Ria. Would you be alright with that?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have suggested it," he said, grinning.

"I'll go talk to your father about it," his mother answered brightly. He waited until the sound of her footsteps died away completely before he sunk to the ground, sighing in relief.

"That was close," he mumbled. He simply sat there for a few minutes, his eyes closed.

He ended up sitting there for more than a few minutes, actually. He realized that- according to his clock- an hour had passed by the time his sister called for him.

"Junior! Mom 'n Dad are gone and I'm bored! Come do something with me!"

"Coming, Ria," he shouted back downstairs, pushing himself to his feet and limping out into the hallway. He slowly hobbled down the stairs, holding onto the railing for support, and stepped gingerly into their tiled kitchen.

His sister, who was sitting at the table and eating a bowl of Cheerios, paused with the spoon halfway to her mouth. She slowly set it down back in the bowl and quirked an eyebrow, looking quizzically at him.

"… What the heck happened to you?"

"Long story," Junior replied uncomfortably, glancing away from her as he headed for the pantry. He grabbed a Pop Tart and stuck it in the toaster, avoiding Ariana's gaze.

"I have time."

"… I fell."

"That's a short story. I don't believe it."

He gave a sigh, resorting to staring at the toaster until his Pop Tart finished toasting. He quickly took it out and dropped it onto a plate, then taking as much time as he could to pour himself a glass of orange juice and sit down at the counter. It bought him thirty seconds, at the most. Ariana didn't stop looking at him- her eyes narrowed, head propped up on one hand- for the entire time.

"Spill, or I'm gonna tell Mom and Dad why you've been avoiding them since yesterday."

Junior bit his lip, mumbling the first lie that came to mind.

"I got in a fight."

His sister frowned deeply, reached over, and broke off a piece of his Pop Tart.

"Why?" she questioned, popping the pastry into her mouth and chewing slowly.

"Some of the kids at school were saying… not-nice things," Junior sighed. "About you and Mom and Dad and February. I told them to stop… and… it sort of escalated."

Ariana's expression turned worried, and she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Junior, you shouldn't be getting fights with people over that sort of thing. Just ignore them, they're stupid."

"I know," he replied, uncomfortable with how easily the lies slipped off his tongue. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

"Just… don't get into any more fights, okay? It's not like you, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't," he promised. Technically, he wouldn't be breaking it when he ended up a mess again- being bullied wasn't fighting. It wasn't a brawl. He hadn't fought back.

"Promise me one thing in return, though," he added after a moment.

"What?" Ariana inquired, seeming confused.

"Don't tell Mom and Dad." She was silent for a minute, so he continued with a begging "_Please_, Ria. I don't want them to be worried."

"Fine, fine," she sighed at last. "I won't tattle on you."

"Thanks, sis." He quickly wrapped his arms around her in a hug before letting go and taking another bite of his Pop Tart. "So, what do you wanna do?"

"Play Mario Kart?" she offered with a shrug.

"Sounds good to me!"

* * *

><p>The rest of the weekend passed without incident. The swelling on his face started to go down, and his bruises became slightly lighter. Ariana snuck their mother's makeup kit to him so that he could actually face his parents again without looking injured. It stung a bit whenever he dabbed foundation on his black eye, but he managed.<p>

School came again on Monday, and Junior headed off as though nothing was out of the normal. He saw February during science class and assured her that he was feeling much better, as well as promising to sit with her during lunch. P.E. was an eternity spent in hell compacted into forty-five minutes.

"LECTER, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING YOUR ENTIRE LIFE YOU PATHETIC WORM, SITTING AROUND ON A SOFA?" the coach roared as he feebly ran the laps assigned for warm-up. "FASTER, FASTER, FASTER!"

"Yeah, Lecter," one of his bullies sneered quietly from behind him. "Watch out, 'cause we're coming for you."

Junior flinched, putting on an extra burst of speed just as another bully stuck out his foot in front of him. He tripped and went flying through the air with a scream, landing face-first on the hard concrete floor.

The next thing he knew, the gym teacher was pulling him roughly by the shoulder and screaming at him to go do ten pushups.

"Yessir," he mumbled, dazed. He was pretty sure his nose was bleeding, but he stumbled over to the side of the track and started his pushups anyway.

His legs gave out halfway through, and he still couldn't get up half an hour later, when the coach finished bellowing at him because the bell had rung.

* * *

><p>Lunch was a blessed reprieve. His legs finally worked again, his nose stopped bleeding (and wasn't actually broken, thank Dead God,) and February chatted cheerfully with him about maybe going on a date next Saturday because he had been sick the past weekend.<p>

"We could go to the mall?" the blond offered brightly. "Or the park!"

"The park sounds good," Junior agreed. "Or maybe the beach?"

"Ooh! Let's do the beach!" she bubbled happily. "I'm so excited! This is gonna be great!"

He found himself beaming; her happiness was contagious.

"The beach it is, then. When do you want me to pick you up?"

"Um… maybe eleven in the morning? That way we can have lunch there!"

"Great," Junior replied with a grin. "I'll bring my swimsuit."

February giggled, nudging him with a shoulder.

"I'll be waiting for it," she said with a wink, causing a light blush to spread across his cheeks.

He opened his mouth to respond when the bell rang.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," he said instead, giving a smile and standing up. "Gotta get to class."

"Bye, Junior!"

"Bye, Feb."

It only took him from the time he left the cafeteria to the time he got to his next class to make his decision. This time, nothing was going to stop him from going on that date. Not the bullies, not his homework, nothing.


End file.
